In an increasingly violent society, businesses and government institutions are subject to a greater number of threats against both life and property. Such threats may be in the form of ballistic threats, explosive blasts, forced entries, as well as others. Security measures have been taken to protect against such threats. These include the installation of special windows that have increased strength, to withstand an attack. For example, windows that have security glazings that can resist certain explosive blasts, ballistic threats, and/or forced entry threats are being specified in new commercial, as well as industrial buildings. Such windows may also present better resistance to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms.
Conventional windows that call for security glazings have a primary frame to secure a glazing unit, within a defined casement opening of a building, for example. The frame is referred to as a “primary” frame because it may be the only frame that is needed to close the given opening between a “threat side” and a “safe side”. Where the threat side is outside of the building, and the safe side is inside the building, the primary frame serves not only to secure the glazing, but to also weatherproof the opening.